Web intaglio-printing press.



B. Rf STIOKNEY.

Patented 0015.27, 1914,

' B BHEETSSHBET 1.

w E Rm P- 7 G. w I A MB RB PL I or I 8 m T A NO I! En EP WA B R STIGKNEY WEB INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7. 1913. 1,1 1 5, 1 27. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

6 SHEET8-BHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES 2m B. R. STIGKNBY.

WEB INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 7, 1913.

1,1 15,127. Patented 001127, 1914.

6 8HEBTSSHIIET 3.

WITN 51;; 16? INVENTOR 2% 0'6 B. R. STICKNEY.

WEB INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1913.

1,1 1 5,1 27. Patented 0011.27, 1914.

WITNESSES B. R. STIOKNEY. WEB INTAGLIO PRINTING PRESS. APPLIOATIOR mum we. 1, 191a.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

a g wo a MN H N N N QM Rm QM QNN . QSN SN B. R. STIGKNBY. WEB INTAGLIO YRINTXNG PRESS. urn-mun!!! FILED we. 1. 1913.

1 ,1 1 5,1 27. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

6 8KEETS-SHEET 6.

g 0 0 N o o o o o g o o 0 O o' a o o v o 0 No 0 0 o No Q o O\/ o 0 BENJAMIN B. STICKNEY, OF TICONDEROGA, NEW YORK.

WEB INTAGLIO-PRINTING PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 7, 1913.

Patented Oct. 2'7, 1914. Serial No. 783,583.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN R. STICK- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ticonderoga, in the county of Essex and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Web Intaglio-Printing Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a power press or machine for manuacturing postage stamps in web form from intaglio p ates, although it is to be understood that the principle of the invention is susceptible of embodiment in printing presses for other work.

Ordinarily stamps and like printed forms are printed from plates, but to produce such matter in web form involves not only radical departures from the ordinary plateprinting methods, but also equally-distinctive variations from accepted power-press arrangements.

The machine of the present invention provides for wetting the paper upon that side only upon which the imprint is made; conducting it upon a blanket to and. between a plate or printing cylinder, and a superposed impression cylmder, where the impression is made; thence to a dryin mechanism for drying the printed web; t ence to a gumming apparatus, and thence through a drying box to a receiving roll; means being provided for automatlcally wiping the printing cylinder, and means for keeping the web straight, and means for compensating for the expansion or stretch of the gummed web, and means for. properly guid: ing and transferring it from the gumming apparatus to the drying apparatus and thence to the receiving roll, all as I will proceed now more particularly to explain and finally claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, 1n the several fi res of which like parts are similarly designated, Figures 1 and 2 when placed sothat the ri ht hand end of the former matches the aft hand end of the latter, show in side elevation the entire machine. Fi 3 is a front elevation, on a larger scale, 0 the left-hand end of Fig. 1, omitting the printing plates, and showing the drying mechanism in cross section. Fig. 4 is a artly sectional elevation of theplate or printing cylinder and the impression cylinders, the wiper mechanism for the plate cylinder, and their drivers. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 4 with the near side of the frame removed. Fig. 6 is a substantially central vertical section showing the wetting, printing, inking, and part of the drying mechanisms and some of their associated parts. Fig. 7 is a continuation of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a broken elevation, and Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the blanket controller. Fig. 10 is an elevation in detail, partly in section, of, certain feed rolls which also serve to transfer the web to the gumming mechanism. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the main impression cylinder. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the floating wiper rolls and their housings. Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of the conveyor for the gummed web and the differential speed mechanism. Fig. 14 is a transverse section on line A B of Fig. 7. Fig. 15 is a detail in side elevation of the take-up for the printing cylinder wiper cloth. Fig. 16 is an end view of the lower left hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 17 is a detail of the web-raising roll to avoid wetting the web when the machine is not printing. Fig. 18 is a detail of one of the chain-carrier clips.

The frame 1 is of appropriate construction to receive the various parts of the machine, and is composed of suitable side pieces, cross pieces or ties and such other parts, movable and fixed, as may be necessary or convenient to receive the various parts.

The main driving shaft 2 may be conveniently driven by an individual electric motor 3 with which it may be connected by worm-gearing 4.

5 is a plate or printing cylinder, on which are secured the intaglio printing plates 6 by means of grippers 7 on shafts 8 mounted in the cylinder and having outside arms 9 which are held in given position by setscrews 10 bearing against collars 11 on the cylinder shaft 12. The cylinder has a continuous and unbroken periphery save for the airs of openings 7" Fig. 3, through whic the plate-engaging points of the gripners pro'ect. By arranging the grippers inside of t e cylinder and providing only the openings 7 instead of continuous open grooves or recesses in the cylinder as in the prior art, it is possible to make a printing cylinder with a continuous plate-supporting surface and consequently use a ractically continuous and uninterrupted printing sur face extending completely around he printing cylinder, because the plates may be buttjointed and adequately supported throughout, and there is no intermission in the 1mpression, and this is a very important con sideration in web printing, both in the matter of gain in the number of impressions and economy of paper. As shown in Fig. 6, these grippers 7 engage undercut notches 13 in the printing p ates. The cylinder shaft 12 is mounted in suitable housings 14 in the frame, and this shaft has housings 14 in the frame, and this shaft has fixed to it a bevel-gear 15 engaged by a bevel-pinion 16 on a vertical counter-shaft 17 secured in bearing brackets 18 fast to the frame, said counter-shaft being connected by bevel gears 19 with the main shaft 2. When the machine is constructed for the manufacture of postage stamps or the like, the design will be re eated on the plates both transversely and on 'tuoinally a large number of times, as may e required, as indicated in Fig. 4.

Above the printing cylinder is the impression cylinder 20, which, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 11, is composed preferably of a contact surface made as a metal cylinder or shell 21, and having its ends provided with notches 22, which are ada ted to be engaged by lugs 23 on collars 24 lied on a shaft 25 which extends through the cylinder or shell. In Fig. 11 the right hand collar is shown in lace, while the left hand collar is detached. hen the cylinder is mounted between the printing cylinder and the auxiliary impression cylinder next described, the cylinder or shell 21 is practically sus ended or floating upon its shaft, so that sai cylinder or shell, whose surface is in contact with the web being printed, may move in a vertical direction responsively to the pressure placed upon it. In this way is avoided the use of impression or pressure cylinders having resilient surfaces, which are objectionable for various reasons, and articularly because they yield not only in c direction of thrust but also laterall resulting in loss of compression and in erior printin and also because of their first cost and the expense of up-keep. The shaft 25 0f cylinder 20 has its journals 26 mounted/in housings 27 in the frame and it is driven from the printing 0 linder by intermeshing gears 28 and 29. bove the imression cylinder and in rolling contact with it is the auxiliary impression or pressure cylinder 30, of smaller diameter by preference than the impression cyhnder the journals 31 of its shaft 32 mounted n housings 33 in the frame. The housings 33 are connected with plunger rods 34, and

20, and having 1 these in turn are acted upon by cams 35 (Fig. 1) on a shaft 36, mounted transversely in the frame and provided with the handwheel 37. The housings 33, 27 and 14 have pr 38 so that pressure upon the housings 33 through the plunger rods and cams is yieldingly transmitted to the series of cylinders 30, 20 and 5.

The printing cylinder is inked from a reservoir 40 through a distributing roll 41 and an inking-in roll 42. The reservoir is pivotally mounted upon brackets 43, and the roll 41 is carried by said reservoir. The reservoir has a segmental rack plate 44 extending downwardly and rearwardly from it, which is engaged by a pinion 45 mounted upon a shaft 46 having a hand-wheel 47 or other turning device to apply the proper pressure to the cylinder 5 through the inking-in roll 42. The roll 41 has a spiral-gear 48 engaged by a gear 49 on a shaft 50 which is driven by a bevel-gear 51 from the bevelgear 15 on the printing cylinder shaft, and the roll 42 may be driven by frictional contact with the roll 41 and the plate cylinder 5. The reservoir opening in which the roll 41 is located, may have the blade 52 arranged therein to engage the roll 41, and this blade may be set for distributing the proper quantity of ink by the adjusting screws 53. Below the reservoir is located the drip pct 54. 55 are arms pivoted at 56 to the frame and carrying in their upper ends the re-distributing roll 57, and t is roll may be set up with relation to the printing cylinder by one or more adjusting screws 58. By these means the ink is evenly distributed over the printing plates without liability of clotting, in case any excess of ink should be carried over on to the plates by the rolls 41 and 42.

The efficient wiping of intaglio printing plates is of prime importance, and the mechanism now to be explained is believed to meet the requirements. It consists of a vertically movable wiper block, in which, is mounted an endless band of heavy flexible material, traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the printing cylinder, and supported at intervals by rollers, and a wiper cloth traveling in the same direction as the endless band, to all of which is given also a reciprocating motion in the direction of the length of the printing cylinder. Referring more especially to Figs. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 12, the wiper-block 59 (Fig. 12) has end projections 60 extending through slots 61, Fig. 4, in the side pieces of the frame and resting upon pillow-blocks 62, mounted within the side pieces in any suitable manner, so as to be capable of vertical movement within the slots 61. These pillow-blocks have lateral projections, such as pins 63, to be engaged by wiper-cams or fingers 64 seand 39 interposed between them,

cured upon a rock-shaft which is mounted on the side pieces transversely of the frame. One of these cams is provided with a toothed segment 66 which is engaged by a worm 67 on a shaft 68 which is provided with a hand wheel 69 or other operating device, so that by rotating the shaft 68 the rock-shaft (i5 is turned and the cams 6 t moved in the ,desired direction to move the wiper-block toward or from the printing cylinder.

70 is a vertically arranged countenshaft, driven from the main shaft 2 by bevel-gears 71, 72, and having at its upper end a diametrically grooved horizontal disk 73 (Figs. 3 and 4) in which is adjustably mounted a wrist-pin 74 which is connected by a link 75 with the wiper-block, as by pin 76 mounted in a bracket 77 depending from said block, the pin being sufficiently long to perinit of the vertical movement of the block without disturbing the link. The wrist-pin is adjustable eccentrically with relation to the disk, as by means of the dovetail tongue and groove 78, so as to vary the length of throw of the link and consequently the length of the reciprocation of the wiper block. The wiper block has end horns 79 and 80 in which are mounted rollers 81 and 82, of different diameter, over which is placed the endless flexible band 83, preferably made of laminated rubber and textile material. \Vithin the wiper block are mounted the self-adjustin r or floating wiper roll elements, composed 0 housing pieces 8 L provided with open bearings 85 in which are mounted a series of rolls S6 of less diameter than the rollers 81 and 82 and parallel with them, and lying between the upper and lower portions of the endless band in such way that the lower portion of the band keeps these rolls in contact with the under surface of the upper portion of the band, and keeps the upper surface of such portion in contact with the printing cylinder. The housings 60 are provided with sockets into which freely enter the pins 87 which are secured in the housing pieces 84:, so that this floating wiperroll element may rise and fall with the wiper band as the wiper block is moved vertically. These rolls 86, which, for convenience, are herein designated floating rolls, are spaced apart sufliciently to successively cut off and relay the ink or color used on the printing cylinder plates, said rolls by pressing the band into positive contact with the cylinder plates serving as cut-ofi's, and the unsuported portions of the hand between these floating rolls serving to relay the ink. As

more or less pressure is required, the wiper block through cams 6 1 is moved toward or from the printing cylinder, and as it is moved nearer the cylinder the upper surface or portion of the band will be depressed into a. curve of less radius throughout the increased area of the plane of contact, but this will serve to draw up the lower portion of the band and in so doing, this lower portion of the band will lift the floating rolls into closer contact with the printing cylinder, the wiper roll element automatically rising under this changed relation. The band by its frictional contact with the Wiper cloth next described travels with said cloth, and by the reciprocating mechanism described it is given a motion transverse to its direction of travel, so as to obtain an eflicient wiping motion.

Interposcd between the band 83 and the printing cylinder is the wiper cloth 88 running from a roll 89 to a winding or receivingroll 90; and this wiper cloth partakes of the transverse movement of the wiper block, and also has a lengthwise movement in the direction of travel of the wiper band. In order to insure a regular feed of the wiper cloth, the receiving roll 90 is provided with any suitable step-by-step or walking movement, comprising in this instance, slotted arms 91 connected with the roll to turn it step by step, as by the pawl and ratchet mechanism 92 shown in Fig. 15. Links 93 are connected loosely or slidingly with the slotted arms through the medium of a roller 9i overlying the roll of cloth, so that as the roll of cloth increases in diameter upon the winding up of the cloth, the centers of motion of the links will be correspondingly varied and the length of throw maintained to insure an even feed of the cloth throughout. This roller swings or shifts diagonally across the cloth under the opposite movements of the arms 91 and smooths out the cloth and spreads the ink over it, so that the cloth may be used over and over.

95 is a roller mounted in arms 96 fixed to the frame, and this roller is located so as to depress the wiper cloth below the roller 94 and thus take the strain of the wiper cloth ofi of said roller 94 and thereby allow it to move as described.

The links are connected in any suitable adjustable manner with the rock-levers 97 to vary the feed of the wiper cloth, and these levers in turn are connected with forked pitmen 98 having rollers 99 engaged by cams 100 on the main shaft 2, set so as to hold one of the arms 91 to prevent back-lash of the roll while the other is being moved to turn the receiving roll and wind up the cloth. The links 93 are adjnstably secured to the rock-levers 97 so as to vary their throw and the consequent length of feed of the wiper cloth at each movement. The forked pitmen 98 are held up to the cams 100 in any suitable manner, as by springs 101, or by gravity.

It will be observed, especially by reference to Figs. 5 and 6, that the wiper-band supporting-roller 82 is farther from the printing cylinder than its companion roller 81, and thus a certain clearance is given between the wiper band and the printing cylinder at the front of the machine, while the greater 5 nearness of the rear roller 81 to the printing cylinder causes the wiper band to hug the printing cylinder with a relatively heavier pressure, and in consequence presses the wiper cloth closely against the cylinder at the start and thereby extends the wiping surface and insures the prevention of an excess of ink or color being carried forward to the printing surface, while the remaining surface of the wiper cloth serves to polish the plates.

With the speed possible in this machine, it is a disadvantage to dampen or wet the aper on both sides, or through and through, the best results being) obtained by wetting only that surface of t e paper on which the impression is made. It is also found advisable to remove the paper from the dampening or wetting apparatus when the printing elements are idle. One convenient means 2 for thus wettitiigthe web of paper on the side to be prin is herein shown, and comprises a water trough 102 suitabl mounted on the frame and containing a ampening roller 103 dip ing into the trough. The roller 103 may he covered with cloth or other absorbent, as indicated in Fig. 6, or may be otherwise made. On a supplemental frame 104 is mounted another water trough 105, also having a dampening roller 106, above which is mounted the distributing roller 107 in rolling contact therewith. On the shaft of roller 10"4 are pivoted arms 108 carrying a rod or roller 109, and these arms may have toothed segments 110 .meshing with rackbars 111 mounted to slide in the frame 104, and connected by rods 112 with a frame 113 pivoted to the trough 102 carrying rollers 114 and 115. The frame 113 is connected by rods 116 with the shaft 36 to be lifted thereby and to transmit such motion through rods 112 and the rack-bars 111 to the toothed segments 110 and rod or roller 109. The web of paper 117 is led from any suitable roll 118 over the roller 107 and over the rod or roller 109, and thencebetween the rollers 114, 115, and 103, and thence over a roller 119 and thence alon ide of an endless blanket 120 to the printing cylinder. Obviously it would be a disadvantage to allow the paper to remain in contact with the dampening rollers during the time when the machine is idle, and consequently the contact of the web of pa er and the rollers with these dampening ro ers is controlled from (the means forcontrolling the contact of the impression cylinders with the tinting cylinder. Beferrmg'to Fig. 1, it w ll be seen that as the shaft 86 is operated to take the pressure off of the impression cylinder, the rods 116mm lifted and in consequence the frames 113 and 108 are so tilted as to take the paper out of contact with the dampening rollers. The paperand the rollers are returned by gravity or otherwise into wetting contact with the dampening rollers as soon as the shaft 36 is turned to put the impression cylinder into printing contact with the printing cylinder.

The endless blanket 120 is stretched over rollers 121, 122 and 123, and the cylinder 21 in a comparativel taut condition. The blanket roller 122 is a gravity roller, hung in bearings on arms 124 which are pivoted on the sides of the frame, and this roller 122 is of sufiicient weight to put the proper tension upon the blanket.

The blanket is kept in alinement by means of a freely movable holder or guide 125, mounted upon a longitudinally movable shaft 126 which is mounted in the side pieces of the frame. This holder may be a flat plateof any suitable material, having overangmg end lips 127 between which and the bod of the plate the blanket passes. The sha t 126 has fixed on it the cones 128, and these cones cooperate with levers 129 which are pivoted to the sides of the frame, and have forked upper ends which grasp the journals at opposite ends of the roller 123. The roller 123 may be knurled, as indicated in Fig. 8, to increase its frictional hold on the blanket. The roller 123 has not only a rotary movement, but a loose fore and aft movement in its bearings 130, so that in the event of the blanket becoming askew, it will be restored to the correct alinement by the combined action of the holder 125 and the roller 123, through the levers 129 and cones 128. In other words, if the blanket were to run more to the left hand side than to the right (Fig. 8), the holder 125 would tend to move toward the left and this would throw the left-hand cone 128 into contact withthe lefthand lever 129 which would act upon the roller 123 tomove that end of the roller, or skew it around, and thus tend to correct the disalinement of the blanket.

The printed web 117 extends from the impression cylinder upwardly into a drying frame 131, impressed side up. This dr 'ng frame extends from a .point on the mac ine frame above the printing cylinder in a sweeping volute curve over the to of the frame and in front of the supp emental frame 104 to which it is secured. It is made up of a series of parallel bars 132, Fig. 3, and side pieces 133 extendin low the bars, and any suitab e dryin agent is ap lied to the frame, 'n any sultab e way, to e ect the uniform and rapid drying of the web. I prefer to use suitable electrical heating units as the drying agent.

As shown in Fig. 6, the electrical heating units may be plates 134 arranged beneath the bars 132 and supported in t e sides 133.

above and be- Current may be supplied in any suitable way and under control of a switch 135. Similar heating plates may be applied in the base inclosing the transfer chain carrier next described and also in the drying box used in connection with the gumming mechanism, and all of these heating units may be controlled froin the same source, or they may be equipped with separate controlling means.

As stated, the printed web is delivered to the drying frame with the printed side uppermost, and this is the side that has been dampened so that the relatively dry side of the web is next to the heating or drying agent. It follows, therefore, that the moisture of the water as well as that of the ink of the impression is rapidly driven off and the drying speedily and efficiently performed. It is of great importance that this rapid. and effective drying should be provided for, since otherwise web printing from intaglio plates would be well-nigh impracticable; and this is particularly true of the manufacture of postage and other stamps and the like, where the printed web is to be further treated in order to finish the product.

The web is drawn over a roller 137 at the bottom of the supplemental frame 104 and thence delivered to an endless chain carrier 16S passing over sprocket wheels 139 and 140 on shaft 141, Fig. 16, and similar sprocket wheels, not shown, on. shaft 142. Beneath the roller 137 are the rollers 143 supported on stud shafts 144 adjustably mounted in slots 145 in the frame so as to set up these rollers relatively to the roller 137. These rollers 143 may have rubber or other tractive rims 146 so as to engage the margins of the web and in conjunction with the roller 137 they draw the web from the roll 118 through the wetting apparatus, the printing mechanism and the drying frame, in addition to keeping the web fiat and straight as it passes over the roller. 137, the web at this point being practically dry. The shaft 142 is driven by bevel gears 147 connecting it with a shaft 148 which is driven from shaft 17 by spiral-gearing 149.

The shaft 148 is provided with any suitable clutch 150 actuated by the clutch lever 151 having an operating handle 152. The chain 138 is supplied with suitable spring clips 153, Fig. 1, which are opened by the cams 154 to engage the edge of the web and close upon the web as they leave the cams to carry the web along and keep it stretched transversely. Similar cams 155 at the opposite ends release the clips as the web reaches the rear end of the chain. The shaft 141 has a gear wheel 156 which meshes with a gear wheel 157 on the shaft of the roller 137 to turn it. Beneath the upper and lower lengths of the chain carrier are suspended pairs of rails 158 and 159 by means of hangers 160 and 161, and these rails serve as supports for the chains, the

upper pair of rails being sufliciently close to the upper lengths of the chain carrier to keep them level and prevent drag on the web. These hangers may also support heat-- ing elements 162, similar to those in the drying frame.

The web is led from the chain carrier to a roller 163 and thence up a forwardly inclined plate 164 to and between rollers 165 and 166 where its back is exposed to a rotary brush 167 to clean it of any dirt that may have been deposited upon it. The lower roller 165 is made with an intermediate knurled surface 168 which is below the level of the end surfaces, first to provide for the prevention of pressure on the print ed surface between these rollers, and sec end, to nip the unprinted margins of the web to insure the feed.

Since the printing is done upon a web of paper and while the web is moist and expanded in length, and then the Web is dried and hence contracted, thus exposing the web to variations in length, there must be some compensating agent. For this purpose, one of these rollers, preferably the upper roller 166, is so arranged as to slip under tension of the passing web, and as shown in. Fig. 10, this slip may be provided through the medium of a friction mechanism 169 of any suitable construction set to yield under given stress, one form of which is presently described. The upper roller 166 may be driven by a counter-shaft 170, having a bevel pinion 171 in engagement with a bevel gear 172 on said roller, the shaft 170 being connected with the shaft 50 in any suitable manner, as by a jaw clutch 173, so that the pinion 171 may be thrown out of gear to allow the printing cylinder to run while the paper feed remains stationary. This jaw clutch may be operated by the lever 151. In this way the feed of the paper may be stopped while the printing cylinder is run, as for inking or other purposes.

As shown in l ig. 10, the friction mecha nism may consist of a friction disk 174 fast to the shaft of the roller 166 and entering a recess in the back of the gear 175, which may be made in one piece with the bevel gear 172. This bevel gear likewise is recessed. and in this recess is a friction disk 176 pinned to the shaft of roller 166, and set up to it by a spring and adjustingscrew mechanism 177. The'gear 175 is in mesh with the gear 178 running idle on the shaft of roller 165. The friction mechanism being set to sustain a given strain, any excess will result in the gears turning independently of *the roller 166, which will remain stationary.

The shaft of the roller 165 base gear 179 which meshes with a gear 180, which in turn meshes with a gear 181 on the shaft of the brush 167 to rotate said brush.

The gear 178 meshes with a gear 182 .which meshes with an idler 183, and this formity of distribution, and is located in.

the outlet of a gum receptacle 188. Excess of gum is removed from the roller 187 by a blade 189, and this blade may be set up to the roller by any suitable means, such as setscrews 190.

The web of paper is led from the pair of rollers 165 and 166 to and beneath a roller 191 mounted in the frame between the idlers 183 and 184, whence it passes up between the gumming rollers 186 and 187.

The application of the moist gum to one side of the paper tends to relax the paper and interfere with the regularity of the feed. To meet this contingency I provide a chain carrier similar to that reviously described, and like it composed of a pair of endless chains 192 en aging sprockets 193 loose on the shaft of roller 186 and sprockets 191 fast on a shaft 195, and these chains are supplied. at intervals with spring clips 196 like those on the other similar carrier, to engage the web by its edges. These chains travel at a greater speed than the web, and hence the engagement of the clips with the web is a slip engagement, forceful enough to keep the paper extended and prevent its wrinkling or buckling, and insuring its advance, and yet not liable to strain or tear it, thus simulating the motion one takes in drawing a web between the thumb and finger of ones hand. This difference in speed of the roller 186 and the chains is effected by loosely mounting one pair of the sprockets on the shaft of said roller, as shown in Fig. 13, and fixing to the hub 197 of one of them, or otherwise uniting the two, a large gear wheel 198 which meshes with a smaller pinion 199 fast on a short shaft 200 which has fast on it a pinion 201 in mesh with the larger driving gear 185. The chain on that side drives the shaft 195 through sprocket 194, and a similarsprocket 194 on the opposite end of the said shhft drives the opposite chain and its loose sprocket 193 at the opposite end of the roller 186, so that both chains are moved at the same speed. Cam bars 202, 203 are arranged upon the frame at oppo site ends of the chains where they turn over the sprockets and engage roller projections 204: on the clips to open the clips respectively to enga the web and to let go of it.

The shaft 195 may be adjustably mounted, as in housings 205, on the frame so as to keep the proper tension on the chains 192.

The gummed web is drawn by the chains through a drying box 206 supplied with drying heat in any suitable manner, and from this box the dried web is passed under roller 207 and thence over roller 208, whence it is led to the receivin roller 209, which may be suitably mounte in a detachable manner in the side frames.

In order to keep the surface of the roller 186 clean, I provide a wiper 210, made as a transversely reciprocating frame, having any suitable wiping surface, such as felt, as shown at 211, and this frame is mounted in a bracket 212 fast to the main frame. The frame 210 has bearing pieces 213 at opposite ends slidingly mounted in the bracket, and said frame is provided with a roller 214 which is engaged by a cam 215 on the shaft of the roller 186, by which the transversely reciprocating motion is imparted as the roller turns. By means of a set screw or other medium 216, the wiper may be adjusted with respect to the roller 186. The roller 208 likewise has a wiper 217 which may be reciprocated in a manner similar to the wiper 210.

The chains 192 are mounted to travel on rails 218 and 219, and these rails are supported by han rs 220 connected with the main frame. imilar hangers may also be utilized to support heating units 221 for the drying box.

The receiving roller is driven by a shaft 222 having a suitable differential driving clutch 223, and this shaft 222 is driven in any suitable manner, as by spiral gearing 224 connectin it with the shaft 195. On this shaft 195 188.180 a gear wheel 225 which meshes with an idler 226 which in turn meshes with a gear 227 on the shaft of the roller 208. The idler 226 is adjustably mounted in a slotted segment 228 so as to compensate for any adjustment of the shaft 195 necessary to take up slack in the chain.

The web may be introduced into the machine in any suitable way.

Thus a machine is produced which is ca pable of printing postage and other stamps in web form. The printed and gummed web may be removed, properly perforated, so as to thus separate the several stamps, and divided into sheets or strips in accordance with the demands of the user.

Various details of construction may be altered as desired, and various additions to the machine may be made without departing from the principle of the invention. For examples, the paper roll may be inclosed in a cylindrical casing 229; the gum receptacle 188 may have a spon -ho der 230, the sponge being kept wet an used to wipe the glass roller as desired, and the wiper cloth rollers 89 and 90 may have the hand-operating wheels 231 and 232, res ectively. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the aft 36 m y ha e the two collars 233 fixed thereon to turn with it, and provided with offstanding lugs 23% to engage nuts 235 on the rods 116, Fig. 3, to lift these rods when the shaft 36 is turned as previously described.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a web intaglio printing press, a printing or plate cylinder having a con tinuous periphery provided with spaced apart gripper openings, and adapted to receive an intaglio printing plate. shafts arranged. longitudinally within the cylinder and extending the length thereof and grippers fixed directly to said shaft and arranged within said cylinder and adapted to project through the openings to engage the plate and hold it in printing position on the cylinder.

2. In a web intaglio printing press, a printing cylinder having a continuous periphery provided with spaced apart gripper openings, and adapted to receive intaglio printing plates, having undercut notches in their ends, shafts mounted longitudinally in said cylinder, grippers on said shafts having their plate-engaging points projecting through said openings to engage the said notches, and means to hold the grippers in engaging relation.

3. In a web intaglio printing press, a printing cylinder adapted to receive an intaglio printing plate, combined with an impressioncylinder, comprising a shaft. end collars fixed thereon, and a contact surface made as a shell, the end collars and the shell having means to movably suspend said shell between said collars so that said shell shall be out of contact with the shaft between said collars, said collars constituting the sole support for said shell.

4. An impression cylinder for printing presses, comprising a shaft, collars fixed thereon, and a cylindrical shell movably suspended about the shaft between said collars and wholly out of direct or other contact with said shaft excepting through said collars, said collars constituting the sole support for said shell.

5. An impression cylinder for plate printing machines, comprising a shaft, collars fixed on said shaft and having lugs projecting toward one another, and a contact surface made as a cylindrical shell arranged between said collars and having notches to engage said lugs, so that said shell may yield uniformly throughout its length to conform to the printing cylinder, said collars constituting the sole support for said shell.

6. In a web intaglio printing press, a printing cylinder on which the printing plates are secured, an impression cylinder having a floating contact surface arranged above the printing cylinder and a shaft having only end engagement with the floating contact surface, an auxiliary impression cylinder arranged above the first-named impression cylinder, and means to raise and lower the impression cylinders out of and into contact with the printing cylinder.

7. In a web intaglio printing press, a printing cylinder on which the printing plates are secured, an impression cylinder arranged above the printing cylinder and comprising a shaft and a contact surface movably supported on the shaft at its ends only, an auxiliary impression cylinder arranged above the first-named impression cylinder, yielding mediums interposed between the bearings for said cylinders, and positively actuated means for controlling the effective force of said yielding mediums relative to the cylinders.

S. In a web intaglio printing printing cylinder on which the printing plates are secured. an impression cylinder having av suspended contact surface arranged above the printing cylinder. an auxiliary impression cylinder arranged above the first-named impression cylinder, yielding mediums interposed between the bearings for said cylinders, a hand-controlled cam-shaft, and plunger rods interposed between said cam-shaft and the auxil iary impression cylinder to apply pressure to the impression cylinders.

5). The combination with a printing cylinder, of a wiping mechanism, including an endless flexible band traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder, :1 block adjustable toward and from the cylinder and having rollers on which the band is mounted and supporting the band in segmental conformity to the cylinder, and self-adjusting means carried by the block and extending transversely between thenpper and lower portions of the band to hold said band in variable contact with the cylinder.

10. The comhinaticn with a printing cylinder, of a. Wiping mechanism including an endless flexible band traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder, a block having rollers on which the band is mounted and supporting the band in segmental conformity to the cylinder, and means floatingly carried by the block and extending transversely between the upper and lower portions of the band and in contact with both portions to hold said band in wiping contact with the cylinder.

11. The combination with a printing cylinder, of a wiping mechanism including an endless flexble band traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder, a block having rollers on which the band is mounted and supporting the band in segmental conformity to the cylinder, and self-adjusting housings carried by said block and provided with a series of rolls extending transversely of the band and between its upper and lower portions.

12. The combination with a printing cyl-,

inder, of a wiping mechanism including an endless flexible band traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder a block having rollers on which the band is mounted and supporting the band in segmental conformity to the cylinder, and self-adjusting housings carried by said block and provided with a series of rolls extending transversely of the band and between its upper and lower portions, said rolls spaced apart so that the rolls will afiord ink cut-' offs and the spaces between them ink-relays.

13. The combination with a printing cylinder, of a wiping mechanism including an endless flexible band traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the cylinder, a block adjustable toward and from the cylinder and having end rollers on which the band is mounted and supporting the band in segmental conformity to the cylinder, a series of self-adjusting rolls arranged between the band supporting rollers and between the upper and lower portions of the band and pressed into operative contact with the under side of the upper portion of the band by its lower portion.

14. The combination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiping mechanism including an endless band, rollers on which it is mounted, and intermediate rolls for compelling the band to conform to the cylinder, and a block on which the parts are mounted, said block movably mounted below the cylinder, and means to reci rocate said block and the parts supported tiiereby transversely of the machine and in the direction of the length of the printin cylinder.

15. The com ination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiper including a reciprocatin block arranged vertically beneath the cylin er, an endless band traveling with and beneath the cylinder and mounted in the block and partaking bodily of its reciprocatlng movement, and means to move the block and its sustained parts bodily toward and from the cylinder.

16. The combination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiper including an endless band, fixed rollers on which it is supported, intermediate movable rolls, and a reciprocating block on which the wiper mechanism is mounted.

17 The combination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiper mechanism including an endless flexible band, fixed rollers on which it is mounted, intermediate band-supporting rolls, a reciprocating block on which the wiper mechanism is supported,.and a wiper cloth interposed between the band and the cylinder, and let-ofl' and take-u rollers between which the cloth is stretc ed, the combination being such that as the wiper cloth is positively moved in the direction of its length, it is also pressed into operative contact with the cylinder, and additionally given a lateral movement lengthwise of th cylinder.

18. The combination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiper mechanism including an endless flexible band, fixed rollers on which it is mounted, intermediate band-supporting rolls, a reciprocating block on which the wiper mechanism is supported, a wiper cloth interposed between the band and the cylinder, let-ofl? and take-up rollers for said wiper cloth, and means to impart intermittent progressive movement to the take-up roller, the combination being such that as the wiper cloth is positively moved in the direction of its length, it is also pressed into operative contact with the cylinder and additionally given a lateral movement lengthwise of the cylinder.

19. The combination with a rotary printing cylinder, of a wiper mechanism including an endless flexible band, fixed rollers on which it is mounted, intermediate band-supporting rolls, a reciprocating block on which the wiper mechanism is supported, a. wiper cloth interposed between the band and the cylinder, let-ofl and take-up rollers by and between which the wiper cloth is supported, and means to impart intermittent progressive movement to the take-up roller, said means including links and a roller thereon shiftable with the increasing size of the roll of cloth on the take-up roller.

20. The combination with a rotary pr1nting cylinder and a rotary impression cylinder, of means to move the impression cylinder toward and from the printing cylinder, and a dampening mechanism and means interposed between said cylinder moving mechanism and the dampening mechanism to raise the web of paper out of contact with the dampening mechanism when the impression cylinder is out of contact with the printing cylinder.

21. The combination with a rotary printing cylinder and a rotary impression cylinder, of means to lift the impression cylinder out of contact with the printing cylinder, a web supporting roller, a pivoted frame in which said roller is mounted, and means interposed between the lifting mechanism and the pivoted frame and operated by the lifting mechanism to raise the paper out of contact with the dampening mechanism when the impression cylinder is lifted.

22. In a web printing press of the character described, a pair of rollers for applying gum to the back of the printed web, means for moving the ed web toward the de livery end of the machine, including a pair of parallel chains arranged upon opposite sides of the gum applying means, sprockets arranged loosely upon the shaft of one of the rollers and supporting the endless chains at one turn, and a pair of sprockets on a rotary shaft for supporting the endless chains at the other turn, means carried by the chains to grip the opposite margins of the web so as to slip thereon, and means to drive the chains at a greater speed than the speed of the web.

23. In a web printing press, having a printing mechanism, and a web drying mechanism, means for transferring the dried web to a distant part of the machine for further treatment, same comprising a roller, means to hold the web in position on the roller, and an endless chain carrier supportmy hand this 7th day of August A. D. 1913. 20

BENJAMIN R. STIOKNEY. WitlIVGVSSBS F M. INOKEL, E. A. 'FmoKnL.

speed of the web.

23. In a web printing press, having-a printing mechanlsm, and a web drying mechanlsm, means for transferring the dried web to'a distant part of the machine for further treatment, same comprising a roller, means to hold the web in roller, and an endless chain carrier supportline 13, for the word shaft ble readfiewible;

rections Office.

[smut] Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1

position on the 1914, upon the application of Benjamin B. Stickney, an improvement in Web Intaglio-Printing Presses,

specification requiring correction as follows:

ed in the bed of the machine and providedwith means-to grip the web and carry it forward, and feed rollers vtolwhich the web is delivered, combined with means to throw the carrier and feed rollers out of operation at pleasure. v In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of August A. D. 1913. 20

BENJAMIN R. Witnesses: WM. H. FINCKEL, A. FmoKnL.

,STICKNEY.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,115,127, granted October 27,

of Ticonderoga, New York, for errors appear in the printed Page 2, strike out line 17; page 7,

read s/zcqfls; same page, line 121, for the word flexand that the said Letters Patent should be read with these cor therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Signed and sealed this 17th day of November, A. D., 1914.

R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Gomviu'ssz'ofier of Patents.

Corrections In Letters Patent No. 1,1 15,127

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,115,127, granted October 27, 1914, upon the application of Benjamin B. Stickney, of Ticonderoga, New York, for an improvement in Web Intaglio-Printing Presses, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, strike out line 17; page 7, line 13, for the word shaft reads/rafts; same page, line 121, for the word flexble readfiewi ble; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of November, A. D., 1914.

[SEAL-1 R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Acting Oomnzissiofier of Patents. 

